


Time Across Space

by pagalpan



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:25:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6934429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pagalpan/pseuds/pagalpan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a devastating accident that claimed her parent's lives, a young Lexa was pushed into leadership as a Queen. A couple years into her rule, she begins to receive strange and threatening letters. Lexa agrees to increased protection from the Special Service, but only if they agree to hide their heightened presence in her life. Special Agent Clarke Griffin is sent to serve as her protection detail with a seemingly perfect plan: they could pretend to date. As their feelings grow for one another, a chance connection soon turns into destiny as the person writing the letters is willing to bend both time and space to reach them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lexa stared at her hands, tracing the faint etches of lines with her eyes, trying to calm herself. 

The midday sun brightly lit the room, highlighting the shades of gold and red in the curtains and plush carpets in a way her mother always found obnoxious. 

_Too extravagant_ , she'd simply say. 

Her thoughts shifting carelessly to her mother brought reality crashing back and suddenly the heat from the sun felt as if it was suffocating and burning her all at once. 

The door opened and she watched as Anya silently entered. 

"Hey, kid. Uh, I don't know what you've heard yet-"

Lexa sat up as straight as she could to project a confidence and control she so desperately needed to feel. 

"I've heard everything, Anya." 

Anya sighed, perhaps at her loss or at her performance. 

"I'm sorry, kid," her voice seemed to waver in its usual certain tone, "they were coming home and the driver didn't see them or, or, I don't know," she ran her hand through her hair and took a seat next to Lexa. 

Lexa felt the room shift from the obnoxious one her mother hated to a cold, distant one where none of the furniture or decor felt like home to her. 

Anya cleared her throat, ready to speak again.

Lexa floated in and out of listening to her, wishing she could pay attention and offer Anya comfort, too, but all that she could think of was trying to imagine what had happened. How had they felt as their car collided into the other? Had they felt any pain? 

Lexa looked outside the window at the deceptively calm and sunny day, no rain to prevent visibility, and no wind in the air. It was as if the day was trying to fool her. She focused on the large banyan tree, looming like a sulking grandfather in the center of their yard. A few weeks back her mother had taken her there and explained the long history of their people; their struggles for freedom and fights for coalitions. Lexa remembered disbelieving the rather fantastical narrative her mother told of heroes and saviors, feeling there must be an irredeemable part of all of us. 

Lexa turned to Anya, who was still struggling for words and composure, and placed her hand on Anya's shoulder, feeling numbness take hold of her emotions.

"Anya, how long until I am meant to become the next Queen?" 

"4 years."

"Who rules until then?" 

"Ah, you get to choose between a couple close relatives as your guardian since you're a few years from the age where they’ll let you rule."

"Can I pick you?" 

Anya seemed taken aback. 

"Me? I'm flattered, kid." 

"Anya, you're my sister." 

"Adopted sister. I know nobody thinks of me like that, but the people, your people, will." 

"Then they'll have to change because I won't work with anyone else."

Anya smiled, the sadness in her eyes vanishing for a brief moment. 

_________________________________

6 years later  
_________________________________

Clarke considered shooting her gun on accident to cause some excitement in this eternally boring job. 

Since her last assignment where she had managed to anger all her superiors, Clarke had been placed as low-end security detail for a former public official. As in, people who never really need security. 

She could feel her eyes cross in boredom as she watched the former Representative's daughter miss yet another swing at the bright pink piñata. In her defense, the 7 year old somehow managed to sense when the pink monstrosity was swinging her way and ducked every time.

Clarke glanced around the small local neighborhood park, wondering if a rabid raccoon could perhaps save her from her misery. 

She felt her phone vibrate and immediately regretted wishing for any excitement. 

“Hello, Sir.” she answered as brightly as possible. 

“Griffin, I need you at the office this afternoon."

She didn’t even need to hold up the phone to hear her former superior’s perpetually loud and disappointed voice. She still needed to ask Raven if the disappointment was a tone he specifically reserved for her. 

“But, sir. How will Representative Smith and his daughter survive this birthday party without me?” Clarke knew she was pushing it, but she couldn’t help to remind him the abysmal position they had put her in.

“Griffin, I will not ask again. Be here by 3.” His voice commanded authority and Clarke was grateful he wasn’t there in person to see her annoyance.  
________________________________

Lexa had closed most of the blinds in her office as she felt another migraine incoming. 

The low throbbing felt as if it originated from her brain and hit her like whiplash every time she moved too quickly. 

The door opened.

"Another one? I'm going to beat the doctor's ass if he says he can't do anything for you again."

Lexa heard Anya close the door behind her as softly as possible.

"You're hovering. What is it?" She could feel her sister hesitate to speak. 

"We received another letter. This time they referenced details about you that nobody else could possibly know unless they know you."

Anya paused and Lexa knew she wouldn't like whatever Anya said next. She closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair's headrest. 

"I told the Special Service and they're sending some people over this afternoon." 

Lexa opened her eyes and fought against the dizzying feeling of looking around the room to find the dark outline of her sister. 

"Since when do we involve them in anything?"

Lexa knew her tone was sharp but Anya's was soft in return. 

"When it involves any danger to you." 

Lexa sighed.  
_________________________________

Clarke stared at the unopened packet in front of her and then at the two male agents who sat alongside her former superior officer. 

Nobody had said a word when she had entered, but she knew what her role was going to be as soon as she didn't see Raven sitting at the table.

"So, let me make sure I understand this. You want me to lead the mission, but from behind the scenes. I will have access to whichever one of you is staying with the person, but I will basically sit in a van while you two get to, I don't know, move around?" 

Her former superior officer fixed a glare on his face she knew too well. His mustache comically quivered under his quickened breathing as his anger grew. 

Here it comes, she thought. At least I could always become a teacher. The thought was horrifying. 

"Griffin, I am giving you the opportunity to take a step closer to your old position as a special agent. If you successfully complete this with no usual problems then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be." 

Clarke almost wanted to congratulate him on appearing earnest. 

"Honestly, you called me in for a reason. I have the best track record of keeping people safe and finding the threat. If you aren't going to put me in the field, then I'd rather babysit or, better yet, quit altogether." 

The two agents shifted uncomfortably at their back and forth. 

Suddenly, an idea sprung into Clarke's mind. 

She jumped in again before her equally hot-tempered former boss had a chance to say anything. 

"Actually, I'll agree if you let me go with them to see the person."

The officer visibly relaxed and arched an eyebrow at her quick acceptance. 

"You better not be planning anything, Clarke." His use of her first name was supposed to underscore his seriousness. 

Sometimes Clarke felt glad that he didn't always follow his first instinct with her because she definitely had a plan. 

She cleared her throat and moved to open the folder in hopes that would change the subject quickly. 

She stared in disbelief at the photo on the first page, the woman in it looking at someone off to the side, an elusive smile on her lips. 

"Oh shit. Someone's targeting the Queen?"  
_______________________________________

While the headache has lessened considerably, Lexa still kept the most of the blinds covered as she awaited her guests. She wondered what they could possibly do without causing too much disruption in her life. 

She heard a slight knock and verbally motioned for them to enter.

In walked two predictably white and male officers and then, joining them at the very end, was a comparatively shorter blonde woman who walked with a cool confidence and sent her an easy smile. 

Anya walked in last, closing the door behind her. 

"I'd like to present special agents Thomas, Roberts, and Griffin, to her majesty, the Queen." 

Lexa now stood in front of them and waited for the men to bow. Curiously, the woman also chose to bow before her with twice the certainty in her every movement. 

Lexa cleared her throat. 

"Thank you for joining us. Please take a seat."

The two men mumbled, "yes, your majesty," as they eyed the chairs positioned in front of her desk.

Lexa was used to people acting nervous or too proper, but this woman seemed to bypass both types as she looked around the room and consciously avoided one of the four chairs place in front of her desk and moved instead towards a sofa in her small living area. 

She turned around before sitting and met Lexa's eyes, her own blue ones turning radiant as slivers of sunshine hit them from the large windows opposite the couch; the only windows Lexa had uncovered as her headache had lessened. 

"After you, your majesty." 

They all sat down, with Anya sitting next to her and the other three on the couch across. 

The woman wasted no time in jumping right in. 

"How long have you been receiving letters? I'm assuming it isn't the first one."

"We received the first one a month back."

"Why did you contact the service?" 

Lexa paused for a moment. "The threats have escalated." 

Lexa watched as the woman's eyebrow arched in surprise. 

"In what way?" 

"In ways that have you here."

"How are we supposed to protect you if we have no idea what the threat is?" 

"Who said anything about protection?" 

Anya intervened.

"Protection shouldn't be off the table." 

Lexa glanced over at her sister and saw the barely veiled concern on her face. 

"Fine, but only one person and you must have a cover. I will not publicly show that a few letters have me scrambling for new security teams." 

Lexa watched as the sunlight from behind her sharply highlighted the woman's features, her blue eyes as expressive as Lexa imagined eyes could be. 

Lexa tried to ignore the brightness from the sun hitting the corner of her own eyes and slowly reigniting her earlier headache. Suddenly, the woman’s eyes met Lexa's.

"I have an idea. What if we pretend to date? That way you don't have to make it too obvious how your security is changing and my new but constant presence won't be as questioned." 

Lexa tilted her head in curiosity at the quickly imagined scenario. 

"I am dating someone already." 

"He'll object to your safety? Sounds like true love." Surprisingly, the woman was teasing Lexa.

"I imagine she won't be thrilled. Is there not another way? That still seems drastic."

"If you would let us see the letters then maybe we could decide what is drastic."

"I will need more time to decide on your proposal. I will contact you once I've decided." 

Lexa moved to stand, causing the men to scramble to their feet and the woman to continue in her strangely defiant actions and wait a few seconds before following them.

Anya led them outside the room to the guard waiting to escort them.

She returned and ruefully smiled at Lexa.

They had been inseparable since their parent’s sudden passing and both could easily read the other’s mind without many words. 

"She's certainly forward, isn't she?" Lexa asked, moving to close the curtains and hopefully curb her headache.

Anya chuckled. 

"And perceptive. She handed me this peppermint headache balm on her way out. Mentioned you might be getting many more headaches with her around in the next couple weeks." 

"Well. Forward and perceptive, indeed." 

"She's also the best." 

Lexa pondered over the decision, remembering a pair of certain blue eyes.


	2. Begin Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke excitedly begins her protection detail with all the details figured out, but it seems Lexa's life will offer no easy challenges as more obstacles pop-up than are solved.

Clarke sat across from her old superior, leaning back in her chair, enjoying the moment. 

"I shouldn't have let you go yesterday." His words held a quiet anger.

Clarke smiled. "What's done is done, sir. Can't change the past." 

Clarke leaned forward, grabbed a pen off his desk and began twirling it absently between her fingers.

"Trusting you was a mistake. The other agents were in charge. Not you." 

"Who? Silent man 1 or mostly silent man 2? Honestly, I probably couldn't pick them out of a crowd if I tried." 

"Griffin. This isn't some run-of-the-mill operation. As much as you believe you are ready to lead again, we cannot have what happened on your last assignment happen here. It could mean the queen's life." 

His voice had lost some of the angry edge and held a desperation to it. 

"Even if you and the whole force still don't believe me about what happened that night, it's still been months and I have been keeping representative wilson's family safe. I even saved his daughter from moldy bread once." 

Clarke watched as he ran a hand over his face, clearly exhausted from the day. 

"Everyone knows your track record, Griffin, but there's no room for failure on this one." 

"I won't fail." She responded.

He sighed, signaling a cautious assent. 

"What's your plan now, Griffin, and we’ll need Raven’s go-ahead to move forward." 

Clarke's smile returned.

“Luckily, I caught her in-between shifts at her Doctors Without Borders assignment and already have that signature ready.” 

“You’re lucky you’re good at this job or I would’ve fired your cocky ass ages ago, Griffin.” 

Clarke laughed, feeling lighter than she had in months. She was back and doing work that mattered.

\--------------------------------

The cool, crisp morning air refreshed her and sharpened her senses as Lexa raced the young boy to the towering banyan tree. She felt calmer as she listened to and felt the rhythmic galloping of her horse against the otherwise quiet morning sounds around her childhood home. 

Usually she stopped her horse short of going full speed, so the boy could feel closer to victory in their races than he actually ever was, but today she needed to feel connected to the world around her, keep grounded in her feelings. 

Even though the sun had partially risen, she could still feel frigid cold air underneath the shade of the tree. 

She turned around and guessed the boy would be another 10-15 seconds. 

Dismounting from her horse, she grabbed the satchel that contained their breakfast supplies, eyeing a spot that would give them some warmth.

She heard his voice call out. 

"You were lucky today, my queen." 

Lexa held back a smile at his innocence. 

"Yes, I must be. Sit and eat, Aden."

Lexa always enjoyed their mornings together underneath the tree because of how little he expected of her. No demands for political compromise or ulterior motives beyond those that obviously plague a young child. 

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning to visit my aunt," he paused before continuing, "I won't see you for a while." 

She could hear the anxiety in his small voice. 

"I will be here when you return and so will Alexia." 

She saw him nod and returned to her preparations, knowing he would ask again about his horse.

"Do you recall why the second king claimed this estate in particular?"

He shook his head as he grabbed a handful of grapes. 

"Try a guess." 

Aden looked around as if he, too, wondered the significance of such sprawling lands on all sides of the home. 

"Protection?" 

"In a manner, yes. My mother told me that he knew this estate was the least easy to defend against enemies with the forest providing perfect cover, but protection for him meant something beyond building an untouchable fortress. Instead, he chose this place because wanted his infant daughter, my great grandmother, to have a childhood away from the prying, demanding eyes of the public."

Lexa finished her preparations and looked around at the grounds herself, still wondering how her fierce ancestors could decide something on the basis of an infant. 

"Did you like being away from regular people?" Aden asked curiously.

Lexa paused, wondering if her birthright had ever afforded her a chance to be anything other than irregular.

“Sometimes responsibility will find you no matter how much literal or figurative distance you create." 

Lexa heard the familiar sounds of another horse galloping closer. 

"It seems we have company, Aden."

"She is earlier than usual."

"Join us, Indra, we still have some food" said Lexa without turning to greet her.

Lexa readied herself for the verbal lashing. 

"You must stop slipping away from your guards. It is especially important now that you remain under our watch." 

"Sit, Indra. This is the last of my days wandering about alone. The SS is sending their personal bodyguard for me as soon as I agree." 

As usual with Indra, she was next to Lexa without a further sound.

"You could've still been in danger. This action was reprehensible as a child, but you are a full grown queen now who cannot risk her life." 

"Enough, Indra. You'll scare the boy. Eat and we'll head home." 

"Perhaps a young man who dared to challenge me to a race deserves to be scared," she said in a significantly softer tone. A ghost of a smile hinted on Indra's lips as she looked at Aden.

Indra took a biscuit and a few strawberries from the basket.

Lexa sighed contentedly as she laid back on the ground, looking up towards the shifting shapes of clouds in the sky. While the threats never scared her, the thought of her daily life changing so drastically unsettled her. She watched as white wisps floated peacefully across the sky, seemingly dancing around the larger, looming clouds.  


\--------------------------------

"I've decided to decline the protection." Lexa said as she walked towards her sister who stood outside her office, chatting with Murphy.

Her sister turned, a smirk on her lips.

"Well, your protection hasn't declined you." 

"What do you mean?"

She gestured with her head towards Lexa's open office door. Lexa could see that someone was leaning against her desk while rummaging through the jar of chocolate they kept for children. 

"She means me." The woman turned her head and Lexa felt the unsettled feeling overtake her again. 

"Good afternoon, agent." 

"Who knew the ruling royalty's taste in chocolate could be so terrible?" She scoffed.

Lexa sighed and sent her sister a venomous look before bracing herself for interacting with the insolent woman.

\--------------------------------

Clarke watched as Lexa closed the door and took a seat in a chair behind her, taking in her tan riding pants, tucked in white shirt, and black boots.

So, she had gone horse riding? 

"Did you try to escape? Pressures of the high command too great on the young queen?" Clarke tried to joke with her.

The queen gazed back defiantly and ignored her question. 

"I can't say we were expecting you, agent, and I'm not sure we'll be needing you at all." 

Clarke perched on the edge of the queen's desk as she faced the serious woman. She needed to convince the queen to accept the protection. She needed to get away from her babysitting job and back to what made her become an SS agent in the first place. 

"Looks like you're in good hands with the way everyone scrambled once they realized you weren't here." 

The queen's gaze was sharp as she responded. 

"Are you always this forward with your opinions, agent?" 

Clarke laughed.

"What's the fun in being reserved and silent?" She paused, smiling, "no offense." 

Lexa cocked her head slightly, as if pondering over Clarke.

"If I were to accept the protection, is your original suggestion still the only option?" 

Clarke wished she was closer to the elusive queen so she could read her eyes better. From this distance, everything about her seemed cool and aloof.

"You mean do we still have to pretend to date? I think that's the best option. It covers for my sudden appearance and constant presence. A friendship would make less sense, especially since your whole life has been on public display since you were young. And any changes in security would set off a note of suspicion, which wouldn't be a big deal, but you seem to want to avoid anything noticeable. So the only plausible explanation is that our precious queen is suffering from a case of love at first sight."

The queen's eyebrows arched slightly in surprise at Clarke's answer. 

"You've given this quite the thought, agent." 

"I am considered the best for a reason."

"Though certainly never mistaken for humble, I'm sure." 

Clarke's smile grew wider. 

"Well, damn. The queen bites back." 

Lexa cleared her throat as she straightened her posture in the chair, suddenly looking every bit the regal and debonair as her title commanded, even in riding clothes. 

"Well I have an event to attend in a few hours and conference calls before then, so I will need to leave you soon."

"Does this mean you accept?" 

The queen hesitated.

"For now, I will accept, but only for the next few weeks. I would hope someone so certain in her abilities would find that enough time." 

The challenge in her acceptance ignited Clarke and she wanted to jump in joy, but realized that there was probably limits even to the queen's great patience with her. 

"Great. Should this event you're attending tonight be our first together?" 

"That might be a bit uncomfortable."

"Your girlfriend is supposed to be going with you, isn't she?"

“Yes and it is with my uncle."

"I think it's important to start our events together, plus weren’t the letters you refuse to show me from seemingly someone close to you? This could be a good opportunity to surprise whomever it is with my presence. And your girl could very well be in danger." 

Lexa sighed again, her fingers absently rubbing around her temples. 

"I suppose you are right. I will call her this afternoon to explain the situation." 

"So what's our first official date gonna be like? Should I wear something fancy?" 

Clarke smiled as she took the top off the jar of chocolate again, determined to find one piece she liked.

\--------------------------------

Clarke had initially resisted the lavish escort in a richly white car for the dinner at the queen's second cousins also known by boorishly long titles in the kingdom. 

Asking the stoic queen for any help regarding the night ahead had been a painful indicator that she might've gotten her job back, but probably in the most difficult way possible. 

"We're rather formal for family dinners, but I gather you have something that matches with grey, officer?" she had quietly asked. 

Clarke suddenly realized that being the queen's significant other would require an expensive wardrobe for a plain government employee. 

"An all-white suit just for you, my queen." It was the only piece of clothing she owned that was remotely fancy.

The queen softly stood from her chair and Clarke could feel her hesitate before hearing her say, "If you require any further aid in retrieving clothes for our events, please just contact my assistant." Before waiting for a reply from Clarke, she swiftly turned her back on her, and left the room. 

As the car idled patiently a few feet from her, Clarke looked down at her outfit. She had hoped the all-white tailored suit she had spent a fortune on to wear to her mother's wedding would suffice.

The sound of a door opening caught Clarke's attention. The driver quickly moved to open a back door.

"I don't think I'll be nee-"

Before she could finish her sentence or thought the queen emerged from the door wearing a white form-fitting and elegant dress that suavely hugged her curves. She had seen pictures and heard of the way the queen stunned at every event, but to see her in person brought forth a feeling of awe, disbelief, and something else Clarke couldn't quite place. As Clarke's eyes moved up her figure, they landed on a pair of impatient eyes that seemed to communicate her irritation through the make-up. 

"We are running late, agent. And I don't like to be late on top of having to debrief you with an unbelievable amount of information before we see my family."

Thankfully, her brusque tone forced Clarke from her appreciative daze before she could notice.

Clarke cleared her throat, feeling it uncharacteristically dry. 

"Just give me a minute and I'll join you. I forgot something."

As Clarke hurried back to the car and opened it after briefly glancing over herself, the queen stared at her and looked at the large bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"What are those?" 

"Flowers for my date." Clarke smiled at the otherwise aloof woman who nodded at her answer as if Clarke had signed a business deal with her. 

"Oh. Yes," she paused, staring at them.

Sliding in, Clarke placed them upright leaning against the seat on the floor. 

She glanced over at the queen who looked equal parts lost in thought while her eyes stayed glued to the flowers.

"I bet you receive lots of flowers as the beloved queen." 

Lexa sat up straighter, her eyes on Clarke. 

"Not personally, but the gesture is not uncommon. But why give me flowers when there's nobody to see you execute the gesture for our cover?" Her question held a sense of vulnerability that intrigued Clarke. The flowers meant something to her beyond what she revealed.

"Good question. Because the best covers work when there's a bit of humanity and truth to the emotions you portray."

She paused, looking at the fields of green grass and unkempt acres highlighted by the deep oranges of the setting sun pass as they made their way north. Clarke wondered to herself if she should divulge all of her thought process. 

"The gesture itself is a bit clingy for a new relationship, but what can I say, you're irresistible." Clarke winked at her.

The partly dismissive joke worked as Lexa all but rolled her eyes. 

"You'll have to know the protocols." Lexa said, her tone returning to one of business. 

Clarke sighed.

"Have you ever seen the ocean at sunrise?" 

Lexa crossed and uncrossed her legs in impatience at the perpetually disruptive woman. 

Clarke tore her gaze away from the idyllic scenery and watched as the queen subtly rubbed her hand over her forehead. 

"I can address you by your name in public, you walk through doors first, a couple other boring ones, and I think the strangest one is how I have to sit to your right at dinner parties." 

Her attention snapped quickly back to Clarke, her hand no longer subtly revealing the onset of another headache. 

"You've been reading." 

Clarke smiled. "I've heard it's useful. Your assistant sent me a lengthy list." 

"He likes protocol." 

Clarke smiled again and sat up against her seat, enjoying the muted play of emotions across the queen's face. 

"I noticed." 

Lexa cleared her throat. 

"I had my assistant reschedule most outside meetings to in my office. We won't need your services for those appointments, since my security staff and I are qualified to assess threats, but I'll have a schedule drawn for the few outside events and we'll attend them together."

Lexa looked outside her window and Clarke wondered if the distant, hard-to-read queen whom she would have to play an enamored lover with found the setting sun as beautiful as she did.

"That's all good, but maybe we should figure out some simple parts of our story before meeting your family. You know, like how we met or..."

"The only place I go to without security or this possible mole following is riding in the mornings and this, um," she cleared her throat, "small library not too far from my home. Let's say we met there."

"Love at first sight over...books. How thrilling for the queen of the feared nation." Clarke joked, amused by the unlikelihood of her ever meeting anyone in a library. 

"Now that we've agreed on the story, let's return to the purpose of it all." 

"That's easy. Trust me and listen for my code word." 

"A code word?" She turned around and met eyes with Clarke.

"I'm deciding between honeybear and sweets." 

Lexa's eyebrow arched at the names.

"Those certainly bring about a sense of foreboding anxiety and alarm coming from someone I barely know." 

Clarke laughed.

"The stoic queen has a sense of humor. My job has just become a hundred times easier."

A brief hint of a smile played on Lexa's lips and Clarke began to realize that the guarded queen might have deeper layers to her than she initially thought.

Clarke looked outside to see if she could catch another glimpse of the setting sun and instead watched as a huge castle-like building moved closer into view--only adding to its grand elegance. The sparkling white paint of the walls contrasted sharply against the dark roof and bright red double doors of the entrance.

"Is that..." She asked, realizing the awe seeped into her voice.

"Welcome to my family's home on the outskirts of the kingdom, agent."

\--------------------------------

She felt her arms strain from hitting the punching bag for the past thirty minutes, but she couldn't get the image from earlier this afternoon out of her head and it was clouding her judgment and her mission.

She had been so occupied with trying to understand how her plan had failed so spectacularly this morning that she had unwittingly arrived at the same coffee place she had been meticulously avoiding for the past year.

It wasn't until she whiffed the scent so unforgettably seared in her memory that she panicked and realized her mistake. Lavender and chamomile. A scent she hadn't smelled in years. Yet another mistake.

She turned and saw her seated in the exact spot she knew her to be. Her hand was lightly tapping the eraser end of a pencil on the small circular café table while her brow furrowed in concentration at whatever she was reading. Her hair was slowly unraveling itself from her tightly packed ponytail and Raven felt the unmistakable pull she always did when it came to Anya.

Raven felt a small tap on her shoulder and jerked back to reality, realizing that the line behind her had grown exponentially and it was her turn to order.

"Small black coffee." she said in the quietest tone possible as she tried to plan a way to escape the place without attracting any attention. 

As she walked outside she took a deep breath, wanting to celebrate and simultaneously curse herself for putting her whole plan at risk. 

She felt a light tap on her shoulder and whipped around to see the same brown eyes she'd been seeing in her dreams. Except now they were unmistakably annoyed.

"You forgot your card and Ben already has too much anxiety for running a coffee shop so I ran to get you before he convinced himself you would call the police on him." 

Raven's hand itched to touch her face, hands, and embrace her.

Instead, she tried to act as dismissive as possible as she snatched the card from her hand, looking away as she responded coolly, "maybe he should be more cognizant and perhaps you should let others take care of their own problems." 

Raven saw a brief flash of surprised hurt cross her expressive features and she bit back the apology that almost spilled against her wishes.

The flash was quickly replaced by an indignance only Anya could switch to so easily.

"The only person who made a mistake was you. I guess Ben wasn't wrong to think you'd blame everyone but yourself for your own mistake. Leave and don't come back."

She swiftly turned around and stalked back inside the café without another glance her way. 

As the bag hurdled back her way, Raven started favoring her left hook more as her right elbow had started to throb in pain, but she needed more release. She needed something to help her forget the ever-present ache she felt every time she thought of Anya. 

She needed to forget that her primarily goal was slowly becoming one that would require her to take someone's life.

\--------------------------------

The tense atmosphere in the large, grand dining area had Clarke wanting to break the silence. 

She looked over at Lexa who seemed perfectly at peace with an obviously intense situation before her. 

"What is the meaning of this meeting? I was clearly mistaken at thinking of this as a plain dinner." 

Her calm, even tone silenced all movement in the room as everyone shuffled nervously and glanced between her and her uncle, both of whom sat on opposite ends of the table.

Clarke knew the queen was not much older than her but she couldn't stop herself from thinking of the responsibility she had been forced into. Situations such as this where even those you would think are protecting and supporting you suddenly surprise you and prove otherwise.

Clarke's eyes swept the room, careful to check a few dark corners she saw were quite easy to hide in while still having a good sight line for the queen.

Even though she was brand new to the queen's personal life, she could tell something big was about to happen. 

The uncle who had only grunted in response to meeting her earlier suddenly pushed his chair back from the table and crossed his legs, his eyes remaining on Lexa, his hand waving away the attendants who patiently waited for their next order.

"You remind me quite jarringly of your father,"

He paused, briefly glancing at Lexa's cousins and aunt seated around the table, understandably riveted in this abrupt change to their routines.

"You all are requested to leave now. I have matters to discuss wth our queen."

His eyes landed squarely on Clarke as the rest of the family mumbled haste goodbyes as they stood and made their way towards the exits.

Clarke leaned back in her chair, defiantly returning his gaze, daring him to question the queen's judgment in keeping her there.

He continued.

"You know that your father was prepared to release his title of king and diminish your right along with it if it meant you wouldn't have to feel the burdens of leadership as he did."

"We both know that didn't come to pass because you demanded the leadership be passed onto other family and he wanted to end the royal decree completely. A task he was on his way to complete when he and my mother were driving home that day."

Lexa's voice remained sharp even as they recounted the events around her parents' death. 

Lexa's uncle wavered in his otherwise starkly serious demeanor. His eyes downcast, a small sigh escaping. Clarke wondered if he was feeling the emotions he displayed or if they were an act to convince Lexa of his sincerity.

His eyes were on Clarke again, his voice softer than before. 

"I miss your father. He was my closest friend. Your mother was kind, compassionate, but so very opinionated," he said, chuckling. 

Clarke held her breath, mentally checking the places she had hid weapons underneath the suit should she need them tonight. 

The air was tense, but Lexa looked as if she could wait all year in that exact spot rather than admit any defeat.

"It's curious that out of all the people in your life who could offer you advice or even protection in this moment, you chose to keep this woman whom you seem to barely know and have just met with us." 

He stood and walked to the fireplace, his back to the table.

Lexa also stood, and walked towards him. 

"Sometimes a mere stranger is more trustworthy than those you've known your whole life." 

He chuckled at her cutting response--a response no doubt aimed directly at him. 

"I loved your father but on this issue we disagreed. I respect this family's important role in our people's lives to throw it away. I respect the institution of our royalty. I would gladly die protecting it." 

A fire-like passion had seeped into his voice.

The two converged, staring at one another, the fire ominously looming behind them, its embers extinguishing inches from their faces.

"I feel like you're challenging your queen, uncle." 

"I will challenge anyone who threatens my family's legacy."

"So be it."

\--------------------------------

The car door closed behind Lexa and she considered telling the driver to never stop driving until they were millions of miles away from that vile part of her family. 

The dark night sky glittered with the brightest stars she's seen in months out this far from the city. The calming effect of the twinkling stars did anything but to her racing mind and heart tonight. 

She looked over at Clarke who hadn't peppered her with questions but rather curiously sat on the opposite end, staring intently out the window but not at the stars. 

"It's quite alarming how concentrated you are while apparently staring at nothing." 

"I'm making sure a unicorn doesn't magically appear to threaten your life as a cherry-top ending to a truly just unbelievable day. I think I might get fired on the spot once my superior hears you all but volunteered for a death tournament in my first event with you."

"So you've read about the tournament? I didn't think they taught it in schools." 

Clarke seemed to have decided the fantastical creatures wouldn't show, so she laid her head back against the headrest, her eyes closed as she responded. 

"They don't. I have a knack for memorizing details. He officially challenged you and now you and he must engage in an archaic tournament consisting of three parts reflecting the three attributes of our nation." 

"You also have an ability for noticing details, too, it seems. You saw the blade he had taped to the bottom of the table when we were all still normally eating dinner." 

Clarke's eyes opened and met hers. Lexa felt the unsettled feeling again in her stomach. 

Lexa continued, "it seems the letters were most likely from him or a sympathizer who works with me." 

Clarke held her gaze and lifted an eyebrow.

"You aren't getting rid of me, queen. I've decided it's offensive to me to have your uncle lead anything let alone a nation. He's obviously intent on winning at any cost." 

Lexa broke the eye contact, irritated at being challenged again.

"Your reason for being here is no longer necessary." 

"You don't know that. At least agree until the beginning of the death battle you agreed to." 

Lexa reluctantly nodded, realizing that this person might be at her home now--around her sister and close ones.

"Until we confirm with absolute certainty who it was and can ensure my sister and employees' safety."

Clarke visibly relaxed again upon hearing her agree. She closed her eyes and a small smile played on her lips. 

Lexa's eyes moved down the impeccably tailored white suit that highlighted her curves and accented the slight tan on her skin, creating an altogether alluring portrait of the woman who was her protector. 

"There is a single problem now that we recognize my semi-permanence in your life. It seems I'll be needed for more than just outside events. And I can't sleep at night unless my cat is with me in that massive castle of yours."

Her voice interrupted Lexa's blatant staring. She glanced up to her eyes and gratefully saw they were still shut.

"Spending the night? Our cover is becoming more unbelievable by the minute, agent."

"Unbelievable seems to be the norm in your life right now, my queen." 

As the drive moved to areas familiar to Lexa around her secluded home, she couldn't help but to wonder what life could be like if she didn't have this responsibility upon her every morning. She might soon experience that life if she survived the three tests. Unbelievable indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! I hope you enjoy and hold on for the long story I have planned out. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! It has been a tough week for the fandom, so I hope the beginning of my story provided some enjoyment.  
> I will upload a longer update within the week. :)


End file.
